LfA for UC Hastings Students

Lawyers for America offers UC Hastings students an academic year of practical experience (a training year) as part of their legal education, followed by one year of post-graduate employment (a service year) that will greatly enhance their competitiveness in the post-fellowship job market.

What do LfA Fellows think about their experience?

Watch and hear!

The Fall 2015 Information Session, including a panel of five current and former LfA fellows, can be viewed HERE.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does LfA work?

LfA fellows spend most of their third-year units (12 each semester: 8 nonclassroom, 4 classroom) engaged in an externship at a nonprofit or government law office, working through both semesters, including most of winter break. Following these nine months of work, graduation, and three months to take the bar exam and a vacation, fellows return to the same placement site for a full year, earning a stipend paid by LfA.

Will LfA help me find a permanent job?

LfA participants leave the fellowship with 20 months of legal work experience, supervisors who can attest to their capabilities as an attorney, and a reputation in the relevant legal community. They are thus in an excellent position to compete in an increasingly tight legal market -- both within the placement site, if a position becomes available, or elsewhere. The alumni in the first LfA class (who completed their fellowships in fall 2015) are now working for the Contra Costa County District Attorney, the Napa County District Attorney, the Contra Costa County Public Defender, and the Social Security Administration. A member of the second LfA class (which will complete its fellowships in fall 2016) has already been hired for post-fellowship employment as a Legal Research Attorney at the San Francisco Superior Court.

What kind of positions does LfA offer to UC Hastings students?

Past and currentLfA fellows have worked for the Contra Costa County District Attorney, Contra Costa County Public Defender, Solano County Public Defender, the Berkeley City Attorney, the First District Appellate Project, the Center for Biological Diversity, Disability Rights California, Consumers Union, and the Contra Costa County Superior Court. In addition, the Center for Food Safety will hire a fellow from the Class of 2018.

Read current placement sites' partner proposals (describing a fellowship at their office) HERE.

How should I prepare to be eligible for an LfA position?

Because fellows have limited time to take basic courses during their externship year, those interested in applying for the program will need to consider how they would complete necessary coursework. A free summer course may be available to help in this regard. Also, because the program provides 16 nonclassroom units, you need to compute your overall total, as only 20 such units can be counted toward graduation. For assistance in considering how LfA could work for you, contact Professor Mai-Linh Spencer, LfA Academic Director.

Members of the Class of 2018 interested in LfA positions next year should pay careful attention to their course selection for second year. Specifically, you will be best positioned to participate in LfA if you plan to complete 14-15 classroom units each semester of your second year so you have sufficient units to graduate without having to take any 3L classes beyond those required by LfA. When choosing your 2L classes, consideration must be given both to courses that are relevant to one’s anticipated specialty and to those tested on the bar. The faculty has prepared a list of highly recommended courses that would be useful to view, at the bottom of this page: http://www.uchastings.edu/about/admin-offices/records/registration/index.php. In addition, you may find it helpful to listen to a program given in fall 2012 about course selection for those interested in the Lawyers for America program, which you can find here: http://bit.ly/lfa-intro. The PowerPoint may be viewed HERE.

Keep in mind that if you ultimately do not apply for, or obtain, a Lawyers for America position, your careful 2L year course selection will allow you great flexibility in selecting clinical opportunities during both semesters of your third year.

When will I know about fellowship opportunities for my class? When will the selection process take place?

Fellowship opportunities are advertised to the second-year class during the fall semester of second year. Applications are due the following spring semester.

What is the selection process? What are the selection criteria?

The first step is the online application, which consists of several short essay questions. Applicants include their resume and, if requested by the placement, a writing sample. Applicants may include a letter of recommendation, if desired. A UC Hastings faculty committee reviews all applications, soliciting feedback on candidates from their former UC Hastings professors and making an initial determination as to each student's ability to succeed in the fellowship. This is a relatively brief process. Next, the placement sites review applicants and conduct interviews. Some sites conduct two rounds of interviews. Sites then make offers directly to the students selected.

Can I apply to more than one LfA placement site?

Yes. We encourage you to apply to any site you are sincerely interested in; simply fill out a separate application for each site. Keep in mind that placement sites may ask you during your interview whether you have applied to any other sites.

How much are LfA fellows paid during the post-graduate year? Are they eligible for loan repayment?

The current stipend is $35,000/year, plus health insurance. Pay begins as soon as the fellow returns to work after taking the bar exam, typically late August. Because fellows work in a non-profit or government law office, they are generally eligible for PICAP, the UC Hastings loan repayment program, as well as for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. In addition, most fellows benefit from income-sensitive loan repayment programs. For more information, go to http://www.uchastings.edu/about/admin-offices/financial-aid/picap/index.php.

What does the employment agreement look like for Lawyers for America positions?

The primary contractual agreement governing the LFA program is one to which the law school, the fellow, the placement site, and LFA are all parties. A sample agreement is here for your information. Hastings also enters into a field agency agreement with the placement site to outline cooperation and supervision during the 3L year.

How do I get more information about Lawyers for America at UC Hastings?

University of California Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco is redefining legal education through our experiential, interdisciplinary, and international approach to the law. We integrate rigorous academics with hands-on practice, preparing our graduates to tackle the legal challenges—and leverage the opportunities—of the 21st century.